INTRODUCTION

   Much like everything else in this world power supply units come in many types, outputs and sizes but the quality of components is perhaps the one thing they all have in common so regardless everything else owning a high quality PSU should always be on top of your list. However what many people fail to realize is that the 80 Plus certification is not just a marketing gimmick since at least in most cases (we haven't had the chance to test every single PSU in the market) it goes hand to hand with the quality of components used so a bronze certified model will obviously be less durable than a platinum certified one (performance is another story but generally the same applies there too). Antec has been manufacturing power supply units for as long as i can remember but although they have quite a few 80 Plus Platinum certified units in their product line aside the very good HCP-1000 they haven't focused in high output models. This has changed with the latest HCP-1300 (High Current Pro) 1300W 80 Plus Platinum PSU which strangely we are amongst the very first to have on our test bench.

   Antec, Inc., is the leading global brand of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in these industries and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of efficient, quiet, and reliable products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators. Antec’s offering of enclosures includes a large range of cases, such as its technically advanced Performance One Series, cost-effective New Solution Series and server grade cases designed for the needs of all workstation and server markets. Antec’s products also include front line power supplies such as its TruePower Quattro Series and EarthWatts, the most environmentally friendly power supplies available. PC gamers are an increasingly significant consumer of performance components, and many Antec products are geared toward the gaming demographic, like the Nine Hundred, the premier gamer enclosure. Antec also offers a computing accessories line comprised of many original products, including its patented LED Fans and Notebook Cooling solutions. Antec is headquartered in Fremont, California, with additional offices in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as in Germany, China and Taiwan. The company’s products are sold in more than 40 countries throughout the world. Please visit www.antec.com for more information.

   Leaving out the obviously important features such as the very high and continuous power output, 80 Plus Platinum efficiency certification and the Japanese industrial grade capacitors the HCP-1300 packs a number of equally important features that set it apart from most similar units. For starters the HCP-1300 is a fully modular unit which means that IF we ever see different power connectors you will not have to swap it for a different PSU since Antec will make new cables available. Second Antec has bundled an 28pin power cable just in case something changes in future mainboards and since usually PSU manufacturers get such information first it may actually come in handy for some people. It also comes ready with 4 +12v rails (50A max each, 1300W maximum load) and with the very interesting OC link feature that allows consumers to connect the HCP-1300 with a second one to provide power up to 2600W for really power hungry systems. Protections are also a very important aspect of every PSU and here the HCP-1300 really shines since it comes ready with Over Voltage, Over Current, Under Voltage, Short Circuit, Over Power, Over Temperature, No Load, Surge & Inrush and Brown Out ones for maximum safety. So after almost a full month of testing in various system configurations and conditions we can finally answer some if not all of your questions.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Antec ships the HCP-1300 inside a large box with a silver paint at the front (or it could platinum) right above the main product features.

The electrical table of the unit is placed on the right side while on the left we see a table showcasing how much you can expect to save in electricity costs with this unit along with all the available power connectors.

The specifications list is printed in 8 languages and placed both at the bottom and rear of the box.

As you can all see both the HCP-1300 and its cables are placed inside cloth bags and between two thick foam spacers.

The package includes the HCP-1300 unit, modular cables, power cable, OC link cable, two cable straps, 4 mounting screws, warranty paper, product overview paper and two cloth bags.

THE HCP-1300 EXTERIOR

The fully modular body of the HCP-1300 comes in black matte color and measures 190mm in length, 150mm in width and 86mm in height.

A 135mm double ball-bearing fan is used to keep the temperatures building inside in check.

Both sides of the chassis have a large sticker with the model name and the power output.

The electrical table along with several certifications is placed on the belly of the unit.

All the modular power connectors are different in shape and tagged to avoid any mistakes.

At the rear we see the typical honeycomb perforation, the Antec logo and the on/off switch.

THE HCP-1300 INTERIOR

The 135mm dual-ball bearing fan is manufactured by Delta Electronics (12v, 0.38A) and is controlled by a thermal sensor.

At first glance the interior layout of the HCP-1300 with its very good filtering and the usual DC-to-DC conversion is a lot similar to the HCP-1000 (once again the PSU is by Delta Electronics).

Both primary capacitors are made by Rubycon (450V/560uF) and are certified for use up to 105°C.

Most secondary capacitors are by Nippon Chemi-Con but there are also some by Rubycon (again rated at 105°C).

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     Using a dedicated measurement instrument such as a Chroma or a SunMoon to test power supply units is without doubt the most ideal and accurate way (not to mention the fastest) to do that currently. However it's certainly not the only way there is and so pretty much anyone can test a power supply unit just by using a computer. Certainly limitations do apply and so you can't really test a 1000W power supply if your system only uses 500W at peak loads and that's why during the past 5 years i have saved certain hardware components for the purpose of building a dedicated PSU test rig. True it may not be as accurate as the above mentioned solutions but it comes really close and is in fact closer to real world usage. So as always we ran several games with maximum graphic options enabled at a resolution of 2560x1600 in order to stress every hardware component and increase the overall power demands of the system. The Passmark BurnIn Test was also used to overstress the components in an effort to provide the most accurate results possible. As a final test we also used the latest OCCT 4.4 software and its dedicated PSU testing suite since it can really bring a power supply to its knees after inside a few minutes.

       Rail stability was checked/measured with the CPUID Hardware monitor and a Metex multimeter which also recorded the system load in idle and in load. As always try to remember that the power consumption numbers listed in the graph are the highest (Peak) ones recorded during the entire duration of the tests and not the average ones. Noise levels coming from the fan were recorded using the high precision HD600 ExTech Sound dBA Meter from the rear of the unit and at a range of no more than 5-10cm. Readings under load are recorded the exact moment we manually switch the fans of all graphics cards from full speed to almost zero, that way the fan of the power supply does not have enough time to slow its RPM and so by doing this we get very accurate noise level readings. Needless to say in order to get 100% accurate readings you need to have a noise isolated room for that exact purpose, something which is quite impossible unless you are working inside a real lab (some people use very small noise insulated boxes but due to their size both heat and noise exceed normal levels and so the results can't really be considered to be 100% accurate). Also do take into account that since all noise measurements take place from just 5-10cm away the final noise levels to reach your ears will be far less.

TEST RESULTS

RAIL STABILITY

I can't say that we expected anything less than rock solid rail stability but it's always good to be right.

POWER CONSUMPTION

Whenever we test a high output PSU like the HCP-1300 we are reminded that our test bed can't max it out.

NOISE LEVELS (SPL)

The 135mm fan by Delta Electronics never crossed the 43.4dBA mark so once again good news.

CONCLUSION

   Well although it did take a while for Antec to respond to all the platinum certified PSUs out in the market with wattages exceeding 1000W it seems that the wait was worth it since the HCP-1300 is without doubt one of the best to ever reach our hands (if not the best). Of course Delta Electronics is also not your average PSU manufacturer so since Antec had joined with them in the past to release the very good HCP-1000 we were almost certain of what to expect this time over and we weren't disappointed. I mean how could we when the HCP-1300 offers up to 1300W of continuous power, rock solid rail stability, future proof connectivity thanks to its fully modular design, low noise levels, a plethora of protections and the ability to connect a 2nd HCP-1300? The only thing we are somewhat curious about is why Antec didn't choose to also launch an 80 Plus Titanium model but i doubt it will take long for them to do so.

   With a current price tag set at USD346.50 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 369.98Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the High Current Pro HCP-1300 1300W PSU by Antec certainly doesn't come cheap but people who require the features and power output it packs money will most probably not be an issue. Overall Antec has created what seems to be the ideal power supply unit for people who plan on using ultra high end quad graphics card configurations and although I’d personally like it more had it delivered 1500W instead of 1300W the OC link makes up for that (although the cost will be a lot higher). Long story short you just can't go wrong with the latest HCP-1300 PSU by Antec even if you are the most demanding enthusiast, professional or overclocker and that's why it gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Great Performance (Rail Stability)
- Fully Modular (Future Proof)
- OC Link (Can Connect Two HCP-1300s)
- 7 Years Warranty
- 80Plus Platinum Certified
- Low Noise Levels
- CircuitShield Protections (OCP/OVP/UVP/SCP/OPP/OTP/SIP/NLO/BOP)

CONS

- Price (For Some)